JAS IN THE AMERICAS

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Caring Connections: JAS Colombia's Support for Indigenous Communities

By
February 13, 2024
JAS Colombia and the Bruni Foundation worked with local NGO El Banquete del Bronx to help support the Emberá community.
JAS Colombia and the Bruni Foundation worked with local NGO El Banquete del Bronx to help support the Emberá community.

The Emberá people are an indigenous community primarily residing in Colombia, with approximately 50,000 individuals identifying as part of this group. Due to factors such as armed conflict and mining exploitation in their ancestral territories, many Emberá have been forced to leave and migrate to major cities like Bogotá. Despite some support in the capital city of the country, the Emberá community faces discrimination, and efforts to provide basic necessities such as clean water and food are insufficient.


Women and children in the Emberá community are particularly affected by these challenges. Forced to leave their lands, they grapple with societal indifference, language barriers (as Spanish is not their native language), and the struggle to preserve their cultural identity.


Recognizing the need to support local communities, JAS Colombia collaborated with 'El Banquete del Bronx', a local NGO, to visit one of the Emberá settlements in Bogotá. The activity included providing food, hygiene kits and, above all, sharing moments of joy with the little ones by drawing and playing games. This initiative is part of the Bruni Foundation's 'Pay it Forward' program, which empowers JAS employees to become ambassadors of change by actively supporting social and environmental causes.


The event began with a presentation by the local NGO to JAS employees, aiming to raise awareness about the situation of the Emberá and other minority groups – and the reasons behind their migration to urban areas. The presentation underscored the role of every citizen in bringing some hope, aiding their adaptation process, and, more broadly, fostering respect for ethnic communities.


Addressing some of the challenges women and children face within the Emberá community is only one of the initiatives toward a more inclusive and sustainable future that the Bruni Foundation is committed to. Throughout the year, the Bruni Foundation will support various global projects, primarily focusing on these United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Quality Education, No Poverty, Clean Water and Sanitation, and Zero Hunger.

Source: Unidad de Victimas (2022)Source: Cultura, Recreación y Deporte (2022)
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